Opinions & Interviews

Number of kids Belarusians want to have, expectations about kids’ future revealed by opinion poll

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MINSK, 10 September (BelTA) – More than 44% of Belarusians plan or planned to have two children while taking into account real life circumstances according to a nationwide opinion poll that focuses on topical matters of Belarus’ social and economic development, BelTA has learned.

When asked how many children they plan or planned to have depending on real life circumstances (including those already born), 44.3% of the respondents replied that they want two children, 25.2% – one child, 12.2% – three children, 3.5% – four or more children.

Ideally, however, if material and other conditions allowed, 42.5% of the respondents would like to have two children, 22.3% – three children, 16.6% – one child, 8.7% – four or more children.

Commenting on results of the opinion poll, Sergei Musiyenko, head of the EcooM analytical center, noted that this is a serious matter facing the Belarusian state and, possibly, a bid for the next major study.

Sergei Musiyenko pointed out that New York State has legislatively eliminated the terms “mother” and “father”, replacing them with gender-neutral alternatives. “We must respond appropriately to this trend. Through sociological research, analysis, and legislative decisions,” he said.

Respondents were also asked to think about what they would like their children to become in the future. The answer variants were grouped by fields. As a result, 16.8% would like their child to work in healthcare in the future, 4.3% – education, 3.8% – blue-collar jobs, 3% – defense, security, law enforcement, 1.8% – their own business, 2.2% – art, 4.5% – technology, 2.9% – administration, 2.4% – finance, 4.4% – law, 7% – IT, and other fields.

At the same time, 12.6% indicated that it is up to the kid to decide on and choose the place of work.

According to Sergei Musiyenko, this shows that Belarusian parents do not put pressure on their children, forcing them to choose a certain path. “This fits with our mentality and understanding,” he noticed, pointing out a positive trend at the same time: a large percentage of parents want their children to choose a healthcare or education job.

“On the whole, these are signs of a healthy nation in our understanding. And we should preserve this normalcy,” the head of the analytical center concluded.

In July-August 2026 the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus conducted a comprehensive nationwide opinion poll commissioned by the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research (BISR). As many as 2,045 respondents from all regions of the country took part in it. The first part of the study results was presented in Minsk today. It focused on topical matters of Belarus’ social and economic development.

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